paralyzed by perfection
iterating beyond the first draft
In my first semester at Architecture school, our professors tasked us with digitally producing 100 ‘massing’ models of 3x3 cubes. The only rule was that each model had to be uniquely different from the others. Sure, some similarities might ensue when you make 100 models that stem from the same initial shape, but the intent was to have 100 different variations. It was due in 2 days.
We designed the models digitally, making an array of 100 cubes and slowly messing with each one in some transformative manner - pulling a corner in, extruding a face out, squishing it from two ends, splitting an edge apart, etc. When we went back to present the models after a sleepless couple days, we were asked to explain why we made certain design choices between these 100 variations. None of us had amazing answers besides “I thought it looked cool.” Then, the professors asked us to pick 10 of our favorite models, and build them with chipboard. Once again, due in 2 days.
Keep in mind while these shapes were not highly designed or intricate, they weren’t beautiful enough for us to have 10 favorites. Most of us had 1 or 2 special ones and we randomly chose 8 others. In two days, we presented the 10 hand-built models, only to learn that this was the first week of a long, iterative process to designing inhabitable spaces. I couldn’t see the vision then, but I can surely see it now.
As I pivoted away from traditional architecture, the fundamental of iterative production stayed true to my workflow and ideation. This silly and tedious assignment from school wasn’t just about replicating the familiar, but rather embracing innovation and divergence with intent. By evolving, adapting, and experimenting with new approaches, iteration becomes more than just repetition. When I apply this fundamental in my work nowadays, I realize how progress isn’t solely measured by the speed of advancement but by the willingness to learn, evolve, and test boundaries at any pace. Progress is success, success is progress; and the iterative process is a catalyst within.
The Apple Vision Pro was released in February for a crazy price of $3,500. The demo videos and immediate reviews took us all by surprise but just a month later, we have all kinds of questions and doubts and concerns with how the product operates: the battery life is too short, Facetime is impersonal and glitchy, many apps don’t have OS support, spatial computing isn’t perfect, etc. This reception is reminiscent of the first iPhone release, when we loved the new design and OS but still found plenty of bugs, glitches and shortcomings. Why would we expect the Apple Vision Pro to be perfect on Version 01? The notion that the first iteration will never achieve perfection is a fundamental truth in any innovative endeavor. Each new Apple release represents not the pinnacle of perfection, but a step in an ongoing evolution. True maturity in innovation comes from the realization that perfection is a horizon that continually recedes.
Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, famously noted, "If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you've launched too late." I can't speak for Reid, but I don't think he means to encourage the launch of something ghastly, buggy, or full of spelling mistakes. I believe he speaks to the perfectionist tendencies and general paralysis of trying to build the perfect product before launching. But perfection might just be unattainable on the first swipe. Minimum Viable Product comes from such a sentiment, where the emphasis is not on achieving perfection from the outset but on releasing a functional version that can be refined based on real-world feedback. Version 01 can serve as a solid foundation for a product that small subsequent steps to follow OR it can serve as a baby step in the right direction towards a long line of iteration. This iterative process allows for continuous improvement and adaptation, ultimately leading to a product that better meets the needs of its users.
Perfection, in its absolute sense, is an elusive concept. As a creative, I am constantly faced with a perfectionist paralysis prior to sharing most of my work. But even the most revolutionary inventions and innovations have emerged not from flawless execution, but from a process of trial and error. Consider the evolution of the internet - from its humble beginnings to the interconnected digital landscape we navigate today.
Perfection isn’t unattainable, but it’s measurement must be reduced to metrics that we can control. If we are able to ask realistic questions at each stage of our iterative process, then a version of perfection may emerge. Yet, unknown obstacles may hinder our ability to iterate further. Sometimes we run out of time. Maybe we lack resources or support. Or maybe we just lack effort.
Ran out of time? Ask: What would your next step be if you had time? What did you learn along the way? Who is someone you can follow up with to help you understand what went wrong?
Lacked resources or support? Ask: Who can help? What do you really need versus what would be nice to have? Who is a collaborator you can turn to for additional support?
Lack of effort? Ask: Whose fault is that? What help do you need? What are you willing to do to move forward? What’s stopping you?
There’s power in embracing the imperfection of Version 01, whether it’s a massing model, a VR/AR headset or a Substack newsletter. Shaping 100 massing models from uniform cubes didn’t seem like the right place to start if I was to craft a house, but the iterative process helped refine that direction. And the Apple Vision Pro is far from the best spatial computing product we see in this lifetime, but it’s a damn good step in that direction. If each iteration is given a qualitative/quantitative metric with reflection that prompts discovery, then the intent for progress will always be positive. And that intent will establish a mindset that values progress over perfection, direction over destination, iteration over singularity.
quote unquote
just a few more words to think about
“Just because you get there first doesn’t mean you’re the best.” -A.D. Aliwat
“Innovation is missed by most people because it is so often incremental.”
- John Gruber
“When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” - Steve Jobs
I’ve been thinking a lot about new endeavors and creative starts, resulting in this reflection about the crucial and imperfect Version 01. Stuck in a sort of mental paralysis, I compiled my mindchatter into this late pitstop for the month of March. Nonetheless, I hope it inspired a bit of kinetic energy from potential - drop me a note if so.
That was a good article Rish.
Couple points to Ponder - coming form an operational excellence background - we learnt that we would always take "progress over perfection". The point about innovation is also a great point - Continuous improvement was once thought of as an engine for innovation, while it was mostly incremental, there was rarely a "leap innovation". Many a time that is driven by need or an innate passion to find a different product or way of doing things. Good article, keep it coming...